Air conditioning



3,000,192 AIR CONDITIONING William H. Mullin, Havertown, and FrancisFeeney, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Philco Corporation,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 25, 1960,Ser. No. 31,652 7 Claims. (Cl. 62285) The present invention relates toair conditioning and is especially concerned with 'air conditioningapparatus of a compact and unitary type having novel means forcollecting and disposing of particulate matter present in thecirculating air.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide apparatus thatachieves improved air cleaning.

- It is a particular object of the invention to provide an airconditioner of the so-called room cooler" type in which certain novelconstructional featuers contribute to the compact nature thereof as wellas result in a substantial improvement in the air treating function.

To the foregoing general ends, the invention contemplates the provisionof air conditioning apparatus of the type including an air cooling heatexchange element or coil, and means for forcibly circulating air in heatexchange relation with said element, and in which the element has suchnovel disposition with respect to thevair circulating means both tominimize dimensions of the unit and to improve the air cleaningcharacteristics of the apparatus.

' Advantageously, the air circulating means includes a sloping baffiefor directing the air onto the cooling coil, said bafiie being disposedand adapted to be wetted over substantially its entire air-directingarea by condensate dripping from the coil.

It is a feature of the invention that the air is washed by a contactwith the wetted area of the baffle, which area serves to entrapparticulate matter impinging thereon. Inasmuch as this area' slopes, thecondensate runs ofi, carrying particulate matter therewith forsubsequent disposal. Also, the air advantageously is washed by contactwith the droplets of water falling through the air from the evaporatorcoil onto the baflie.

The manner in which the foregoing objects and advantages may best beachieved will be understood from a consideration of the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view, with parts removed and other parts brokenaway, of air conditioning apparatus incorporating concepts of thepresent invention;

7 FIGURE 2 is a front elevational showing, partly in section and withparts broken away, of apparatus seen in FIGURE 1; V

. FIGURE 3 is an end view, with parts removed and in section, of'theleft hand portion of the apparatus as seenin FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the refrigerant circulatingsystem; and

FIGURE 5 is a somewhat enlarged view, with parts broken away, ofapparatus seen in FIGURE 2, and showing an operational feature of theinvention.

Now making more detailed reference of to the drawing, and initially toFIGURES 1 to 3, the window mount ed air conditioner includes a cabinetor housing 11, preferably but not necessarily rectangular in configuration, having a base portion 17 and a conventional decoraq tive panel 12,the latter comprising inlet and outlet room passage means for the airmoving means to be hereinafter more fully described. The inlet includesgrille 13 and a filter 18 disposed in the right hand region of panel 12and in air flow communication with the inlet opening 27 of indoor blowerportion 26 of air moving means United States Patent Patented Sept. 19,1961 ice 15. The aforesaid outlet air passage means includes grille 14disposed in air flow communication with an evaporator coil 16,hereinafter also referred to as the indoor coil. A plurality ofindependently rotatable louvers 46 are disposed between the evaporatorcoil 16 and outlet grille 14 and are adapted to provide selectivity ofthe direction of discharge air flow. Evaporator coil 16, preferably ofthe finned type, is part of the usual refrigerating system, showndiagrammatically in FIG- URE 4 and including a motor compressor 20,condensing or outdoor coil 21, and associated conduits through whichsaid motor compressor, condenser and evaporator coils are coupled inseries flow circuit. These conduits include a line 22 through whichrefrigerant normally is delivered to outdoor coil 21 as the condenser,and a feed line 23 which, as shown, may advantageously comprise acontinuously open restrictive connection through which I liquifiedrefrigerant is normally fed to the indoor coil 16 as the evaporator, forexpansion therein. Refrigerant is withdrawn by the compressor from theevaporator through suction line 19 to complete the refrigerant flowcircuit. Arrows applied to FIGURE 4 indicate the normal flow ofrefrigerant as occurs during the refrigerating cycle. The compressor isselectively energized through line L having in series therewith controlswitch means 24 (see also FIGURE 2).

Referring again to air moving means 15, a motor 25 is connected to lineL (FIGURE 4) and rotatably supports the blower 26 adapted to causecirculation of air in heat exchange relation with evaporator coil 16.Blower 26 is housed within a scroll structure 30 disposed adjacent apartition 31 which divides cabinet 11 into an evaporator coil chamber 32and a condensing coil chamber 33. The portion of cabinet 11 comprisingchamber 32 is adapted to extend into a room or space to be airconditioned while chamber 33 of the cabinet, lying into the other sideof partition 31, extends outwardly of the room preferably through awindow opening thereof. The evaporator coil chamber 32 is subdivided bymeans of a partition 34, into a section having disposed therein theblower and scroll assembly 26, 30 and a section in which is disposedevaporator coil 16. The mouth portion 35 of the scroll 30 extendsthrough partition 34 and into position to direct air against one face ofevaporator coil 16 (FIGURES 2 and 3), as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed in accordance with important features ofthe invention.

Condensing coil chamber 33 also has disposed therein motor compressor 20and motor 25. A propeller type fan 36 is rotatably supported withinchamber 33 by mo-' tor 25 to provide for drawing outside air into thechamber over the outdoor coil, and for discharging the spent flows onthe latter and drips onto outdoor coil 21, to be evaporated therefrom inthe course of the refrigerating cycle. Conduit means for directing theflow of condensate formed on the indoor coil to sump 41 comprises anopening 43 (FIGURE 2) formed in the mouth portion 35 of room blowerscroll 30, from which opening 43 there extends a tube 44 terminating atsump 41 (FIGURE 3). Extending across the obliquely disposed bottom wallor bafile portion 37 of scroll mouth 35 is trough means 45 disposed andadapted to prevent condensate that drips 3 from evaporator coil 16 fromrunning into the lowermost portion of scroll 30 and to insure outflow ofcondensate from baffle portion 37 through opening 43 for subsequent.disposal in the manner above described.

In particular accordance with the invention, eva'p'o rator coil element16 is so disposed as to extend generally angularly (see FIGURE 3) acrossan upper corner portion of housing 11, which portion comprises also thegenerally rectangular cross sectional area of the vertically extendingevaporator chamber 32, as is best seen in FIG- URES l and 3. Theevaporator coil element 16' is generally planar in configuration and ispositioned to slope in such manner that condensate drips fromsubstantially the entire area of the evaporator and upon sloping bafile37. The downward projection of the face portion of the evaporator issubstantially equal to the upward projection of bafiie 37 upon a planenormal to air moving therebetween. By the above described positioning ofcoil- 16 vertical compactness ofthe unit also is enhanced;

, Referring to FIGURES 2, 3' and- 5, it will be seenthat the baffleportion 37 of scroll mouth 35,- while positioned to promote drainageofmoisture as seen at 6', derived fromdrops of condensate G fallingthereon, is so positionedas abruptly to change the direction of the air,driv en from blower 26 (see arrows, FIGURES 2 and and tocause' the airabruptly to be directed upwardly and to impinge upon-evaporatorcoil-16'. Also; as mentioned; the baifie 37 is disposed generallyvinthearea of downward projection of evaporator coil" 16 and; by'virtue of theabove described cooperative positioning of baffle 37 and coil 16,condensate C drippingfromthe coil will drip substantially onto, andcover (as seen at- G'Ythe entire; surface of battle 37 and airbeingdelivered from blower 26 is thus caused to flow in contactwith'thewetted u'pper surface of the baflie. Flow'of' air overthe'w'etted surface results in cleaning of the air and-in-entrapmentonthe baffle of the relatively heavier particulate matter P im pingingupon this surface-of-the"-- bafiie. In addition to the above filteringaction, drops" of water falling from the evaporator coil wash the airdirected onto'the'coil. Initial coarse filtering ofthe airis-provided-by' the filter 18 which is positioned betweeirthe blower26'and the' inlet air grill 13.

'From the foregoing-it is seen that the structure of the presentinvention, while affording a thorough filtering action, is characterizedby simplicity, and compactness. Importantly, formation of the filmof-moisture'u'pon the surface of the inclined bathe is automatic, as isthe dis posal of the moisture and the particulate matter entrappedtherein. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that due to the thoroughfiltering of'air prior-to its' heat exchange contact with theevaporator, coil surfaces, the latter remain substantially devoid 0f,dust and: dirt that would normally contribute to inelficienttransferof'heat from the air thereto;

Still further, it will be appreciated that thesame" novel cooperativearrangement of the evaporator, inclined bafile, and blower providesmovement of air through the evaporator chamber with aminimum ofturbulence, thereby increasing the air flow rate and improving theelhciency of the air moving system; By virtue of the hereinabovedescribed improved heat'exchange and-air moving functions,ga relativelyhigh-degree-of :coolingcapacity is achieved. 7 v

, In' summation, the inventionprovides an ,air' conditioner of-the roomcooler type characterized by ahigh degree of compactness coupled with anincreased capability forthe treatmentof air,

1. An air conditioner"comprising: a generally rectarl gular'housing; iso disposed as to extend-angularly across an upper corner of saidhousing in such a manner thatcondensatedrips from substantiallytheentire area of the evaporator;

; and blower means within said housing and includan evaporator withinsaid housing-being 4 ing bafiie means so obliquely disposed beneath saidevaporator as to direct air discharged from said blower means upwardlyover said evaporator in heat exchange therewith, positioning ,of saidbafile means further being such that condensate forined upon saidevaporator and falling therefromimpinges-upon land wets substantiallythe entireair dir ctirig surfacefo f said bafile means, the wettedsurface beingeffective to entrap particulate matter entrained in the airmoved by said blower means.

2. An air conditioner according" to claim 1, wherein said blower meanscomprises a centrifugal impeller and a scroll disposed thereabout,and'said baffle means is formed integrally with said scroll and disposedadjacent the path of air discharge. t 7 I 3. In an air conditioningunit, the combination comprising: a housing having air inlet and outletopenings communicating with a space to be cooled; an air filter elementdisposed and adapted to ex'tendiacross said .air inlet opening; blowermeans for drawing airthrough said inlet opening and forcingthe samethrou'glisaid outlet opening; a cooling element disposed withinsaidh'ousing, at a level above said blower means, and theipath of air asit moves through said outlet opening, said cooling element being furtherdisposed 'angular'ly as respects said housing and in'sucha mannerthat'cbndensa'tefdrips, from substantially the entire" area" of saidcooling element,- and battle means so angular'ly' disposed belowsaidcoob ing element as to direct air from said blower upwardly oversaid element in high heat exchange therewith and adapted to be wetted byenaensae formed at and dripping from said cooling elem-exit wherebyparticulate matter entrained in the movingair becomes entrapped in saidcondensate, angular disposition of s d bfa'flie' means providing forcontinuous dr'ainageo'f condensate and en"- trappedparticulate'mattertherefrom.

4. In an air conditioner, the'coinbination comprising: a housing; blowermeans including an air discharge port from which air isforcedthrough'said hoiising; a cooling coil within said housing,disposed" at a level above said blower means a'ir discharge port,arijd'having a flat face portion so inclined'as respectsthe saidhousingithat condensate drips from substantially the entire area" of thecoil face portion; and battle means disposed below said coil adjacentsaid blower means air discharge port and so inclined as to'dir'ect airdischarge'd'from said air discharge port upwardly oversaid coil in highheat exchange therewith, said baflle means further being positioned insuch'manner that its upward" projection is substantially equal to thedownward projection of the face portion of said cooling coil upon aplanenormal to air moving therebetween, said baflle meansthereby beingpositioned to be wetted by condensate formed at anddflp'ping from saidcoil, particulate matter entrained 'in" the moving air becomingentrappedin the condensate, the inclined disposition of said baflle means furtherprovidilig for continuous drainage of condensate and entrappedparticulate matter therefrom.

5. An air conditioner comprising: a housing; anjevapor ator within saidhousing, said" evaporator comprising a planar coil element soincline'd'fror'nthe horizontal'that condensate drips and'falls fromsubstantially the entire heat. exchange relation "therewith, positioningof 7 said baflie means further" being suchthat condensate formed uponsaid evaporator coil element and falling therefroin impinges upon andwets substantially the entire air directing surface of said bafflemeans, the wetted surface being efiective to entrapparticulatematter'entrained in the air being moved.

6; In an air conditioner, the combination comprising" a housing; blowermeans for forcing air through said housing; cooling coil means withinsaid housing and so inclined from the horizontal that condensate formedthereon falls therefrom substantially across the entire area of saidcoil means; and baflle means disposed below said coil means and soinclined from the horizontal as to direct air discharged from saidblower means upwardly over said coil means in high heat exchangerelation therewith and positioned to be wetted by condensate formed atand dripping from said coil means, whereby particulate matter entrainedin the moving air becomes entrapped in said condensate, the inclineddisposition of said baffle means providing for continuous drainage ofcondensate and entrapped particulate matter therefrom.

7. An air conditioner according to claim 6 and further including draintrough means cooperatively disposed with said baffie means whereby todrain condensate and washed particulate matter therefrom for disposal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,408,972 Eberhart Oct. 8, 1946 2,600,316 Moore June 10, 1952 2,899,803Paley Aug. 18, 1959

